Just can't get enough

Tomorrow I am headed back into the ambulatory surgery center to have another stent placed. Wish me luck and say some prayers. Kidney stones are just a bucket of fun!

In other news I haven't shown my house again this week, who wants to take bets on a showing tomorrow? Anyone....yes that is how my luck goes.

Today Noah decided to squeeze his body through the iron rails at the top of the stairs to let me know, baby gate or not....he could get through. As if I didn't have enough on my plate my little Houdini.

Meredith had a great day at school today, when I went to pick her up she didn't want to leave, that is one for the record books. She loves school, but she always loves coming home too.....well she used to.

Tomorrow Miss Carrie is coming to babysit while I have my very minor procedure. The kids will think it is such a treat.....they have no idea.....here's to hoping it is quick, easy and painless.

Also to my Pay it Forward people, I will email you guys as soon as all this kidney stone stuff is resolved. To everyone else thanks for the emails and prayers, I appreciate them. I also assure you I am not dying it just feels that way!

Does anyone know what day it is?

That is exactly how I feel lately. It seems like life continued on while I was in a dark sink hole this past week. Plans I had made and things that needed to be accomplished all went undone, yet the activities and deadlines moved on forward. We missed a birthday party, mardi gras parades, and lots of bad tv.

I am so out of it, I still feel doped up on medications somewhat. As I was driving to Target today I got a little light headed and thought, hmmm I wonder if I should be driving right now. But we made it in one piece and crossed off several things from our to do list that should have been done last week. It is weird trying to get back into the day to day.

In the course of my kidney stone drama, both of my kids were sick with a 24 hour vomit virus, my house was shown, my husband and I had a lunch date, and I cooked dinner. The sad part is I really don't remember most of it. I blame it on the many and various narcotics given to ease the pain. Thankfully I have a wonderful husband and parents who were there for me when I just couldn't do it on my own.

Today I am sorting things out in my head, getting stationery orders that weren't done on schedule out, calling the realtor to see about the showing I had forgotten about, trying to figure out where and how to go from here. Trying to get back on track. So bare with me as I get my groove back. Here is a little what she said to hold you over...

"My back is killing me......damn stones"

"Meredith, you have the stones too?"

"Yes, momma and dey are killing me"

The stone of death!

Wow, I never thought I would be back to blogging. Yesterday I thought I was dying.....a very slow and painful death at that. Thank goodness for doctors and drugs is all I will say.

When Meredith was 4 months old, I took a very unexpected trip to the ER in the middle of the night with kidney stones. As I peeked into my baby's crib I was certain that it would be the last time I saw her. I truly thought I was dying. It felt like my insides were being ripped out of me. It is a pain I cannot even begin to describe. My mom came over to watch Meredith and Josh whisked me to the ER. I remember standing at my front door crying because the 5 minute drive from her house to mine felt like it was taking an eternity. The 1o minute drive to the ER was even longer.

Once we were there everyone knew what is was immediately, including my husband. I was just too delirious from the pain to hear any of them and was sure I was on my death bed. No one could live through this type of pain and tell about it, I was wrong....I have gotten to do it twice now. Yes, it was a very treatable diagnosis that I was going to survive.....it was kidney stones. The rumor is true they are that painful, more painful than childbirth. I think I told off everyone in the ER that night and used some of the foulest language of my life. Then I got the drugs and life was better.

Fast forward three years later, that same stone was still there, trying to make it's way out. I am pretty sure you know where it comes out, and yes it is very painful. The stone in the past three years has also grown and was quite large, I saw it with my own eyes. In fact, it was so large, there was no way I was going to pass it, so I had to have it surgically removed.

I woke up last Thursday pretty sure I had a bladder infection or urinary tract infection. After a urine analysis, an x-ray and a CT scan, it was official I still had kidney stones. I scheduled a minor surgical procedure to have it removed the following morning. Let's just say that procedure wasn't as minor as I originally bargained on. However the pain meds were so good, I truly have no idea what happened that morning or how I got home. What I do know is that the recovery was more involved than my c-sections. No, I am not kidding.

Yesterday I went back in to see my urologist to have the lovely stent removed. You really should see what it looks like.....check it out here. I know amazing....and disgusting....and yes that was in me. So anyway the stent was removed and I thought I was headed to recovery. Well any other patient would be, but not me. My kidney started to spasm, which was some of the worst pain I have ever felt. In fact it was the same pain or pretty close to the pain I felt almost 3 years ago. Again I thought I was dying.

I called my husband sobbing on the way home from gymnastics, then I called my mom to meet me and help clean my house and pick up me and the tikes. Yes, at the very same time a realtor called to ask if they could do a second showing in two hours. If I didn't have this kind of luck, I wouldn't have any!

So my mom and dad rushed over to take care of the house and pick up me and kids. I cried the whole ride to their house and then I cried some more. At that point Josh gave me some meds and eventually my pained decreased. He then headed back to work and I took a nap with the tikes. After my nap the pain was back and I then began vomiting, which is very common with kidney stones. So Josh picked me up and left the tikes with Mimi and Poppa.

Thankfully my urologist and best friend's husband made a house call on his way home and gave me some pain meds and nausea meds and almost instantly I felt better. After a full night of sleep I am back to normal.

For the record......I hate kidney stones. I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy.

However I still have another, larger stone in my other kidney. For this stone I will schedule lipotripsy and try to avoid having to have it surgically removed. Wish me luck and say some prayers.

Starting out

Every where we go, people ask..."Has he just started walking?" And like the proud mother I am, I nod my head while beaming..."he has isn't he cute?" Most times I don't even have to add the "isn't he cute" part, people just add that in before I finish the head nods and replying yes.

My buddy, he is on the move. He walks with the biggest grin from ear to ear....beaming "look at me mom....I did it....I'm on the move." He occasionally will clap for himself and his whole face lights up.... as if saying "hey guys still a huge accomplishment...it isn't old yet!" And it definitely is not old. I could eat him up in his adorable toddling cuteness.

It's been a while since I have had a toddler....well not really, but it seems that way. There was so much of it I forgot. The awkward little steps, the looks of uncertainty but excitement simultaneously, the quick steps when they are on the verge of falling, they way they get back up undeterred when they fall, the arms up in the air as they take those steps, the way they struggle to stand on their own, the way they holds their breath when they're almost there. The way each and every time they stand and take off it is a new adventure.

I cherish these moments, because this time around I know they will be gone before I know it and in no time he will be running circles around me. Hell he already is.

My baby is growing up right before my eyes, and I'm just gonna take it all in.

Paying it Forward

My friend Brandi is doing this "pay it forward" thing on her blog and I thought it was pretty neat. I know the economy is in the toilet right now and it amazes me how people are still willing to pay it forward at times like this and it made me want to do the same.

So here are the rule....I am copy and pasting this from brandi's blog!

here are the details + rules:

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!

2. Winners must post this challenge on their own blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your 3 Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!SO, REMEMBER... Pay it forward!

Living in a glass house

So our house has been on the market for I don't know........
1 week, 4 days and 39 minutes. Yes I have 8 weeks to sell my house so I have 6 weeks and 3 days left....I like numbers. No pressure right?

Anyway for the first week of that 1 week and 4 days, my house was ma-tick-u-lus! Yes meticulous. You could have eaten off the floor if you so chose, which is gross so I doubt you would have. But that week if you wanted to it would have been okay. Any other day that I have lived here I definitely would have suggested otherwise even on Thursday afternoons, when the cleaning girl leaves.

Yes I have been cleaning my ass off and by cleaning I mean baseboards, cabinets, grout, and everything in between. This house has never shined so much. All of that effort and not a single bite. No quick showings, no calls, nothing. So each day my very impatient self started getting more and more discouraged. I knew this was not going to happen in 60 days. And I also knew their house probably wouldn't move either, but still it was discouraging none the less. I get the economic climate right now I do, I was trying to be realistic. It had been a week already....can you tell I have never done this before? Patience.....never my strong suit.

So Sunday reality hit, the economy is in the toilet, the moving isn't going to happen, I will probably go 60 days without a dam showing....my reality. I'm such a positive thinker. So with that I decided to have friends over in my freakishly clean home. Not a party just a handful of friends and 5 kids under the age of 3 who played outside in the wet and muddy yard. Yep, I had thrown in the towel. No one called once while the house was ma-tick-u-lus! So what the hell.

I tell you what the hell was...on Monday at 9am the phone rang....

"Hello Mrs. Pessimist, yes so and so from so and so realty wants to show you home today at 1pm."

WHAT! Ummm no see I gave up on that. I let my family actually live in my house, which means cheerios are strewn all over. I had friends over, friends with kids like mine who just want to be kids, which means the floors are dirty. I didn't do laundry, which means their are piles in the laundry room. So with that I realized I had 1 hour and 30 minutes to get the house clean and get 3 people dressed and out the door for gymnastics and would have no time after to come home and clean. So I did it. I got it presentable I called Josh who ran home at lunch and got what I missed and the house was ready...not meticulous but ready.

That night we got home and once again lived in the house. I cooked dinner and the kids littered the dinner all over the floor. We played, we lived, we messed up the house.

This morning I got up in time to throw on a bra, brush my teeth, make 1 tike very cute and adorable for school and then threw them both in the car to drop off Meredith. I then headed home with every intention of showering and catching up on work, but that just didn't happen. The showering part. So I picked Meredith up in my same funky clothes. Came home and began to tackle lunch and then do more work at nap time. And low and behold the phone rang again. Another showing....seriously. Two in two days? What the hell? Do these people know that last week my house stayed spotless because I forbid anyone who lived here to such much as breathe?

So I did it again. I cleaned the dishes, put away laundry, re-mopped the kitchen floors, picked up the toy room, made beds, wiped down counters and windows and doors. I did everything but get a shower. Right before it was time to show I loaded up two sleeping tikes who woke up very grouchy and headed to mimi's with a bag of clean clothes for me. I took a shower there and then our little family met some friends for dinner.

I wasn't taking a chance on a third day. We were eating out and not dirtying the kitchen just in case. No one was coming back in the house to mess up my hard work again! I am pretty sure that tomorrow their will no showings because I am prepared.

I don't know how people with two tiny tikes do it. How do you constantly live in the glass house? How can you be prepared to have your house ready to show on the drop of a dime? My toddler's greatest joy is to throw his lunch onto the floor. Did I mention that Brownie went to stay with Lily during this selling process? I have no labrahoover anymore!

I'm ready to move out of this glass house and into something a little more private. Selling a home is not for me. I really suck at it!

He is on the move!

Hey there mom......Here I come!

Just a week shy of his 15 month birthday and the man is on the move!

Not that I was worried or anything.....of course I was worried....I'm a mother. However I knew you would walk in your own time....their is no rushing you my boy.

Look how big you are my boy!

And you haven't fallen once despite the flash going off continuously in your face!

Congrats my little man! I am so proud of you! I'm sure you will be running in no time.

Friday the 13th crazy

Last night before Meredith went to bed she asked to sleep with me because her ears hurt. I knew for a fact she had an ear infection. Her normal m.o. for faking an illness is "my teeth are coming out." About a year ago, she was very crabby and restless while cutting her molars and she over-heard me tell Josh that I knew she wasn't feeling well because her "teeth were coming out....all 4 at once." Since then she has used that line daily when she didn't want to do something or didn't want to go to school or wanted her pacifier outside of her bed or wanted candy to eat instead of lunch and you get the point.

Anyway when she told me her ears hurt and not that her teeth were coming out, I knew the child really was not feeling well at all. So first thing this morning, I removed her foot from my rib cage and then called the pediatrician. At 8am. Yes, that time is very important. I called first thing and told them my daughter had an ear infection. They fit me in at 6:40pm. I am not kidding. At least they didn't make me wait until Saturday or even Monday, they have been known to do that. I was a little perturbed they couldn't see me sooner, but my favorite doctor was working the after hours clinic so I didn't complain too much.

We went and saw our doctor and sure enough she confirmed that Meredith indeed had a double ear infection. She was thinking it may have been a residual infection from last month. Great! So she called in some antibiotics and numbing drops to the pharmacy, checked out my Noah real quick just to make sure his ears were clear and then sent us on our way with two lollipops!

We got to Target to fetch the prescription and Motrin and then headed to the checkout line. While we were in line Josh told me to turn around and grab Meredith who was standing right behind me in the middle of the aisle. I wasn't sure why he had a look of panic on his face, she was only 3 feet behind me. Target was busy though, very busy, lines were 10 deep, so I turned to tell her to stay by me and then I noticed why he had that look on his face.

Meredith was dancing in the middle of the main aisle with her pants and panties around her ankles singing......"See my heiny cakes....you can see my heiny cakes....heiny cakes....heiny cakes....heiny cakes!"

I ran over and started pulling her panties and pants back up and telling her that she couldn't show everyone in Target her heiny cakes. "Why momma?"......"Because you just can't baby"....."But I want to momma"....."later, not tonight!.....must be those ears making you do this"......"okay momma, later."

With that we pulled up the pants, checked out and headed to the car. I am assuming her ears are so clogged that her brain is not functioning normally, that or she is channeling her inner stripper. This was a first, I was shocked. Her audience at Target had a quick chuckle and thought it was cute.

The night life!

It was about 6pm, just turning dark. We turned off the country two lane road from our subdivision onto the only and main drag in town. About a 1/2 mile ahead were lights...red lights, street lights, a digital billboard, lights from various stores like Target, Wal-mart, Chick-fil-A, Friday's, Old Navy, Smoothie King, and so on and so forth.

"MOM IS THAT THE CITY LIGHTS?!?!?"

I have given up trying to explain to her that we don't really live in a city, but more a town, or a suburb of a missing city, because this really is not a city. When I say we are going to the city, I mean New Orleans. Somewhere that has interstates and overpasses and actual traffic....not just stop and go lights. But yes I still bitch about the traffic like everyone else here, I am becoming a small town girl.

"Yes baby, those are the city lights."

Squeals and laughter explode from the back of the van. She starts and Noah follows suit. Their laughing is infectious. The other cannot help laughing when one starts.

"Noah we are in the city! Look at the lights!"

More squeals and laughter and lots of happiness.....I love it. Josh and I look and one another and smile. Life is good.

Hey Mom!!!

Yeah I just wanted to let you know I got up here again.
YAY!!!!! And then he claps for himself proudly!

My little Noah is quite the handful.....mischievous, daring, adventurous and for all of those things every bit as lovable. The other day he was touching the dvd player for like the 8739th time, and I corrected him for like the 12,942th time and then for the first time I slapped his little hand and firmly said "No....No touch!" Not hard, but enough to mean "no touch". He looked at me like I had suddenly grown three heads and was speaking Greek. He then went right back to the dvd player. So I redirected him to another room and like usual that worked.

Today we went to lunch with Mimi. I took Noah's cup away after he decided to pull the straw out and make a mess. I firmly said no and put it way out of his reach. He stood up in his high chair, leaned over and slapped me on the hand and said "nah!" I guess he did take in more than I thought the other day, too bad it was very ineffective for both him and I. I didn't give in to the slap, he then stuck that bottom lip out and the waterworks began. Life is so hard.

Melting my heart....what she says

"Momma come lay with me"

"Baby I have to go clean up, you go to sleep now"

"But Momma I need some lovin'.....just a little"

"Move over love!"

*****

"Momma....when I grow up, I'm gonna be Peter Pan.....okay!"

*****

"Momma, you wanna come to my birthday party last week?"

"Sure I do!"

"Great!"

*****

"Oh Noah man you are such a ham!"

"No Momma.....Noah's a boy!"

*****

"Momma, is Peter Pan a boy?"

"He sure is"

"Well one day when he grows up, he gonna be a girl"

In hiding?

Internets: Hey Mandi where have you been?

Me: Oh me, no where

Internets: Good we were thinking you possibly had broken all ten of your fingers and couldn't type since you haven't blogged in like forever.....I mean you didn't even take such a long break when you had that second tike!

Me: Yeah, I know. See I've been busy with work, but I already mentioned that and oh I put an offer in on a house and listed mine with a realtor. Yep I did, even in this crazy real estate market, because I just want to torture myself having to go through an "average of 120 days" of getting it ready for showings with two tiny tikes underfoot. Yep, that's why! It has nothing to do with finding my dream house, well Josh and I's dream house. Uh-huh we sure did!

So Internets wish us luck and join me on this wild ride of house selling. Josh and I have never done this. We are real estate virgins(this word will get lots of creepy visitors to the site....please leave!) Anyway we have never sold a house before and only bought once, so we definitely need some luck and sell your house vibes. We have 60 days......it will be a long two months or perhaps a very quick two months it depends on which side of the coin you look at!

An embarrasing work at home mom moment

As most of you know I own a stationery business and do stationery out of my home. If you don't know, you should and you should check it out....see how I shamelessly put a plug in for myself. Anyway I do, I work from home. I often take orders over the Internet and ship them out, but I also do lots of local business too. In which case customers have to come and pick up the stationery.

This week I have been exceptionally busy, don't get me wrong busy is good. I have had lots of orders, lots of big orders and managing a household and two tikes and the business can sometimes be a challenge. Today I had to really get things done, not a great day for my printer to screw up, but that is the way it normally goes though.

Anyway I sent the tikes to Mimi's so I could really get things accomplished. So I am in my pj's, no bra, haven't yet brushed my hair or teeth. In fact I haven't even looked in the mirror. What can I say....I am in my typical stay at home business woman's attire. I look a mess, there you go I said it.

I am enjoying my peace and quiet and cutting stationery when the doorbell rings. I knew I had several customers coming by to pick up stationery, but I was pretty sure it was this evening. So I thought it was maybe someone selling something or a UPS man needing a signature. I answer it and it is a nice looking young man who tells me his name....let's say Jim.

"Hi I'm Jim"

I gave him a pretty puzzled look, because he came back with...

"Jim Smith"

My look was about the same, by this point old Jim thought I was a nutcase I am sure.

"Yeah, Jim Smith, here to pick up the stationery!"

I think Mr. Smith was thrilled when the light switch finally went off in my head....yes....I got it now. We have only been emailing back and forth for a week now....I should know your name. I rushed over to get his stationery that was ready and waiting for him and ran it back to him, covering my bra-less chest with my arms.....yes way to draw attention to oneself.

So to Jim and his wife in case you are reading this....sorry. I am not an airhead....just a mom....a busy mom, but isn't the stationery nice?

Trying to grow up too fast - what she says

"Where do you guys want to go to lunch today"

Mimi says..."I don't care"

"Well if you don't pick we will wind up at McDonald's"

"MOM I wanna go to Fox's and have pizza"

"Okay then....Fox's good for you mom"

Mimi says... "What about Oscar's Meredith"

"Oscar THE GROUCH?"

Mimi says... "No Oscar's the mexican....you can get a chicken enchilada"

"I no want a chicken empalada....I want Fox's....I want pizza"

"Mom do you mind Fox's?"

Mimi says... "No that's fine"

"Meredith are you sure you don't want Oscars?"

"No, I want Fox's.....I no matter.....I no matter mom"

"It doesn't matter baby?"

"Yeah....I no matter"

"So do you want a taco at Oscars?"

"No mom....I WANT Fox's....I no matter"

Her first crush

"Momma....I LOVE Peter!"

"You do!"

"Yes, he is my friend boy!"

Every girl loves Peter Pan once upon a time!